The last game has been played, the last team has left our shores and a few remaining visitors are soaking up the magic before they too head home. Standing on the other side of an mindblowing month in our country's history I am in awe and I am inspired. For a the end of this the true heros of the 2010 World Cup were not the teams, FIFA, the vuvuzelas or even the magestic stadiums. No, the true heros where the millions of ordinary, everyday South Africans who turned into extraordinary fans and ambassadors for our country. The millions of people who painted their faces, waved their flags, blew their vuvuzelas and bid the world welcome with open arms and hearts. The true heros were every single on of us who celebrated Bafana Bafana's incredible world class performance and then went on to give our hearts completely to Ghana and urge them on to do Africa proud and mourn with the continent to see them so unfairly denied a semi final. And from that let down, what a heartwarming thing to see Cape Town painted Orange in solidarity last Tuesday.
What a thrill to ride the trains brimming to overflowing with fans, bob along in the sea of support on the fanwalk, dance with strangers in the street and for the first time in a long time see all of us looking openly at one another and smiling, laughing, celebrating together. The success of this world cup lies in the spirit each of us brought to it because that is what thousands of visitors are taking home with them. A memory of a rainbow nation - washed with colour, song, vuvuzelas honking in unison, raw energy & hearts bursting with national pride. Let's keep on feeling it!
